In a controversial letter written by Prince Charles in 1986 and newly released to the public, the monarch of England suggested that the “influx of foreign Jews” was partly to blame for the Middle Eastern conflict, and voiced his concern over the “Jewish lobby” in America.

The letter was sent to Prince Charles’ mentor, Afrikaner explorer Laurens van der Post, in November 1986, just after an official visit with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar.

In the letter, he claimed to have “learnt a lot about Middle East and Arab outlook” and began to “understand their point of view about Israel.”

“Never realized they see it as a US colony,” he said.

Prince Charles wrote that he “now appreciates” that the “influx of foreign, European Jews (especially from Poland, they say)” has helped to “cause great problems.”

The “foreign, European Jews” he referred to are the almost 700,000 Jewish immigrants from refugee camps in Germany, Austria, and Italy who survived the Holocaust and then sought refuge in British Palestine, part of which became Israel in 1948.

While Prince Charles insinuated that Jewish immigrants in Palestine were foreigners who spontaneously decided to make it their home, there has been a constant Jewish presence and yearning for the eternal homeland in the land of Israel for over three thousand years. Jewish immigration began long before 1917, when Lord Balfour set in motion the underpinnings for the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948.

Prince Charles’s sympathy for the Palestinian cause comes through in the letter, which asks, “I know there are so many complex issues, but how can there ever be an end to terrorism unless the causes are eliminated?”

How he suggests “eliminating” what he sees as the causes of terrorism in the region, Jewish refugees, remained unclear.

Last, Prince Charles expressed his concern over the “Jewish lobby” in America, hoping that a US President would “have the courage to stand up” against it.

Many consider the term “Jewish lobby” to be an anti-Semitic trope, insinuating that wealthy Jews operate behind the scenes to control foreign policy, the media, and the banks.

Stephen Pollard, editor of the British Jewish Chronicle, said that the letter is “jaw-droppingly shocking” and the fact that these comments “come from the heir to the throne is unsettling, to put it mildly.”

Although the Prince is known to be privately critical of US policy in the Middle East, with one diplomatic source calling his views on Israel “fairly dodgy,” he has largely been seen as a friend to the Jewish people, often expressing concern over anti-Semitic incidents in Britain.

In the recent anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, Prince Charles called the centenary a “deeply significant moment,” adding that “a great deal remains to be done if we are to bring about a just and lasting peace for Israel and her neighbors.”

About the Author

Eliana Rudee is a reporter for Breaking Israel News and a freelance writer based in Jerusalem. Eliana studied politics, International Relations, and Jewish Studies and has since focused her interests on topics related to global Jewish life, American Jewry, counter-terrrorism, Israeli entrepreneurship and innovation, Israeli culture, and minority rights in Israel. Among many other news outlets and blogs, her bylines have been featured in Forbes, USA Today, New York Daily News, the Culture Trip, and The Hill.